Shock-absorber.



K. V. BENNIS.

SHOCK ABSORBER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8, 1912.

1,063,641. Patented June 3, 1913.

KARL V. BENNIS, 0F LOS ALAMI'IOS, CALIFORNIA.

SHOUK-ABSORBER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3, 1913.

Application filed July 8, 1912. Serial No. 708,381.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, KARL V. BENNIS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Los Alamitos, in the county ofOrange and State of California, have invented a new and useful.Shock-Absorber, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shock absorbers operate to cushion themovement in both directions.

Another important object is to provide such a construction that thespring when cushioning the movement in both directions will be exposedto the same stresses, that is to say, the coil spring employed will actas a compression spring in cushioning both the upward movement of theframe and the downward movement of the frame. Likewise, if the flat leafspring be also employed, the latter will be sprung in the same directionin cushioning the movement of the frame either up or down.

Another advantage of the invention is that the shock absorber will actin the ca pacity of auxiliary springs, supplementing the supportingqualities of the regular sprlngs.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional view through theframe of the vehicle, looking toward one end of the axle and showing thewheel, regular spring, and shock absorber in elevation. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation, showing the shock absorber in the position it has when theframe is moved downwardly with respect to the axle. Fig. 8 is a sectionon line 00 00 Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side elevation partly in section of aradius member. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the leaf spring. Fig. 6 isa side elevation of the shock absorber, showing a modilied form. Fig. 7is a sectional view on line ac 00 Fig. 1.

1 designates the frame of the vehicle, 2 is the axle, and 3 the wheel.

4 is the regular spring.

The shock absorber consists of two rod members 5, pivoted to the frameand at their lower ends connected to opposite ends of a spring 6. Thelower ends of the members 5 are held at a fixed distance from the axle 2by radius members or connections 7 which permit the lower ends ofmembers 5 to move in circular paths. The members 5 as shown in Fig. 1are preferably extensible, consisting oft-wo threaded rods 8 and 9,united by a. threaded sleeve 10 provided with right and left threads,whereby when turned, it will vary the distance between the rods 8 and 9and thus regulate the length of connections 5. The connections 5 may beattached to the frame 2 at separate points, as shown in Fig. 1, or theymay be pivotally connected at a single point as shown in Fig. 6. Whenconnected as shown in Fig. 1, each rod 9 is pivoted to a bracket 11shown in detail in Fig. 7, which is securely clamped over the frame 2 bya bolt 12. This form of connection obviates the necessity of drillingthe frame, thereby retaii'iing full strength of the frame, and alsoenabling the shock absorbers to be readily attached without anymachining operation. The clamps 11 may be adjusted longitudinally of theframe 2 to the desired point, and then the bolts 12 tightened. Themembers 7 are also adj ustable in length, each member consisting of arod 13 having right and left threads as shown in Fig. 4, the ends of therod 13 engaging in threaded shackle members let. The rod 13 has aflattened portion 15 enabling it to be turned by a wrench to adjust thedistance between the shackle members 14.

In the form shown in Fig. 6, the two members 5 are both pivoted atasingle stud 16 on the frame 1, and the spring 6 which is pivotallyconnected with the lower ends of bar 5 extends below the axle 2. In thisform, I have also shown chains 7*'* which are employed in place of theconnections 7 of the previous form. A compression spring 17 is arrangedbetween the members 5*, its ends being seated in cupped spring seats 18,pivoted to the members 5*. It will be understood that in the normalposition of the parts, the chains 7 extend horizontally so that thesprings 6 and 17 are then in most released position, and on movementeither up or down from this position, the chains 7 draw the bars f-inwardly and compress the springs.

In operation, the members 7 normally stand in horizontal position asshown in Fig. 1. When the frame 2 of the vehicle moves down, the outerends of members 7 are swung downward in a circular path and the spring 6is bent and placed under a greater tension. This spring resistanceprevents shock to the frame and cushions its downward movement. At thesame time the weight of the frame and body of the vehicle is obviouslymainly carried by the springs 4c, the spring 6 serving as an auxiliarycushioning agent. hen the frame 1 moves upwardly from the axle 2, theouter ends of member 7 are swung upwardly in a circular path toward eachother, thereby again bending the spring 6 in the same direction asduring the downward motion of the frame, so that the spring 6 acts toabsorb the shock during the upward movement of the frame, as well as thedownward movement. The spring (3 acts in the same capacity at both timesand is bent in the same direction whether the frame moves downwardly orupwardly.

In the form shown in Fig. 6, the operation is the same, downwardmovement of the frame 1 moving the parts into the position shown in Fig.6, in which figure, the parts are shown in their extreme lower position.As the frame 2 moves up, the lower ends of the members 5 are carried incircular paths of which axle 2 is the center, and while the chains 7*are swinging toward a horizontal position, the lower ends of members 5move outwardly, reducing the tension on spring 6*, but continued upwardmovement of frame 2 results in the chains 7 drawing the lower ends ofmembers 5 closer together as the chains 7 swing above a horizontalposition, and as the members 5 swing together, they bend the spring 6and the latter cushions the upward rebound of frame 2. The spring 17acts to cushion the movement of members 5 as they move toward eachother, but this spring is not an essential feature and may be omitted.

The shock absorber may be adjusted to give the same resistance to theupward movement as to the downward movement, or, it may be adjusted togive greater resistance to the downward movement than the upwardmovement, or, vice versa. Thus, moving the upper ends of rod members 5toward each'other will give greater resistance to the downward movementof the frame, while when the rod members are substantially or nearlyvertical as in Fi 1, the upward and downward resistance is practicallythe same, because the relations of the lower spring pivots of the rodmembers to their pivotal connections with members 7 is the same duringboth movements.

'VVhen the upper ends of rod members 5 are adjusted closer together, theresistance is greater as the frame 1 moves down. On the other hand, whenthe upper ends of members 5 are moved farther apart than shown in Fig.1, the resistance is less as the frame moves down.

The connecting of the spring 6 to the rod members at the polnt outsideor concentricto the pivotal connection of the radius members to said rodmembers is of advantage in that it increases this regulating action onthe spring, for the reason that when the body moves downwardly, theconnection of the rod member to the radius member and at the same time,the last named pivotal connection moves about the pivotal connection ofthe radius member to the axle, so that a double motion is secured,tending to compress the spring (3.

W hat I claim is:

1. A vehicle body, an axle, radius members pivoted to the axle andnormally extending horizontally in opposite directions from the axle,rod members pivotally connected to the body and extending downwardlytherefrom and pivotally connected at their lower ends to the radiusmembers, and a compression spring connected to said downwardly extendingrod men'ibers to resist by its compression, angular movement of theradius members in either direction from the horizontal position.

2. In combination with a vehicle body and an axle, of shock absorbingmeans connected to said body and axle, and comprising rod memberspivotally connected to the body, a compression spring connected to saidrod members and radius members connected to the axle and to the rodmembers and extending normally in line with one another and with theline of action of the spring and at right angles to the rod members.

3. The combination with a vehicle body and an axle, of shock absorbingmeans con necting said body and axle and comprising rod memberspivotally connected with the body, and provided with means for adjustingthe length thereof, a compression spring connected to said rod members,and radius members pivotally connected to the axle and to said rodmembers, said radius members being normally in line with one another andwith the line of action of the spring thereon.

at. In combination with a vehicle body and an axle, of shock absorbingmeans connecting said body and axle, comprising rod members pivotallyconnected to the vehicle body and adjustable longitudinally withrelation to said body, so as to enable their pivotal connections to thebody to be brought nearer together, or farther apart, a compressionspring connected to said rod members and radius members pivotallyconnected to the axle and to the rod mem bers, said radius membersnormally extending in alinement with each other and with the line ofaction with the spring thereon.

5. In combination with a vehicle body and an axle, of shock absorbingmeans therefor,

comprising rod members pivotally connected to the body, a compressionspring connected to said rod members and radius members pivotallyconnected to the axle and to said rod members, said radius members beingnormally in line With each other and with the line of action of thespring thereon,

and said radius members being adjustable in length.

6. In combination With a vehicle body and an axle, of shock absorbingmeans therefor, comprising rod members pivotally connected to the body,a compression spring connected to said rod members and radius memberspivotally connected to the axle and to said rod members, said radiusmembers be ing normally in line With each other and with the line ofaction of the spring thereon, the connection of the spring to the rodmembers being eccentric to the connection of the rod members with theradius members.

7 In combination With a Vehicle body and an axle, of shock absorbingmeans therefor, comprising rod members pivotally connected to the body,radius members pivotally connected to the axle and to said rod mem bers,and a flat leaf spring connected at its ends at the joints betweenradius members and rod members, the spring being unsupported at allother points.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Alamitos,California this 1st day of July 1912.

KARL V. BENNIS.

In presence of GEO. T. I-IAOKLEY, MARTHA M. LANGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

